Jon Kyl

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Jon Kyl
Image of Jon Kyl

Republican Party

Prior offices
U.S. House Arizona District 4
U.S. Senate Arizona
Successor: Jeff Flake

Education

Bachelor's

University of Arizona, 1964

Other

University of Arizona, 1966

Personal
Religion
Christian: Presbyterian
Profession
Attorney

Jon Kyl (b. April 25, 1942) is a former Republican member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Arizona. He served from 1995 to 2013 and again in 2018, after Sen. John McCain (R) passed away.

On September 4, 2018, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) announced that he would appoint Kyl to replace McCain who passed away from cancer on August 25. He was sworn in on September 5, 2018. On December 12, 2018, Kyl submitted his resignation to Ducey. He wrote, "Thank you for appointing me to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy created by John McCain's death. It has been an honor and a privilege to again serve the people of Arizona. When I accepted your appointment, I agreed to complete the work of the 115th Congress and then reevaluate continuing to serve. I have concluded that it would be best if I resign so that your new appointee can begin the new term with all other Senators in January 2019 and can serve a full two (potentially four) years. Therefore, I will resign from the U.S. Senate effective 11:59 p.m. EST December 31, 2018."[1][2]

Kyl previously served in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2013. Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Kyl was a "rank-and-file Republican."[3] He did not seek re-election in 2012.[4]

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Kyl's academic, professional, and political career:[5]

  • September 5, 2018-December 31, 2018: U.S. Senator from Arizona
  • 1964: Graduated from University of Arizona, Tucson, B.A.
  • 1966: Graduated from University of Arizona, LL.B.
  • 1966-1986: Practiced law with Jennings, Strouss and Salmon
  • 1984-1985: Chairman, Phoenix Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
  • 1987-1995: U.S. Representative from Arizona
  • 1995-2013: U.S. Senator from Arizona

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2011-2012

  • Finance
    • Subcommittee on Health Care
    • Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy
    • Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight, Ranking Member
  • Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (Supercommittee)
  • Judiciary
    • Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, Ranking Member
    • Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
    • Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights

Key votes

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

2013

Fiscal cliff

Voted "Yes" Kyl voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[46]

Issues

Senate Judiciary Committee

Senator Kyl was first appointed to the Senate Judiciary Committee shortly after he was sworn into the Senate in January of 1995.[47]

Senator Kyl is the Republican Ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. The Senator also serves on the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Administrative Oversight and the Courts, The Constitution, and Immigration, Refugees and Border Security.[48]

Sotomayor hearings

During her 2009 Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Senator Kyl expressed concern about how Sonia Sotomayor would approach her decisions as a judge. It was noted during the July 14, 2009 hearings that Senator Kyl scolded Sotomayor for relying on her subjective experience, specifically her race and gender, to make decisions.[49] The Senator said to Judge Sotomayor: "here you are reaching judgment that it could not make a difference but it should make a difference" in relation to a previous speech made by Judge Sotomayor on how racial and gender attitudes would impact a case.[50]

The Senator pointed out contradictions in some of her opinions, based on statements before the Committee, where she said that race does not play a part in her decisions as a judge, and her earlier public speeches and writings, in which she openly claimed that race and gender do play a role in judging.[50]

Lobbying position after leaving office

Kyl was listed in March 2013 by USA Today as one of 16 former lawmakers who had taken on a lobbying related position after leaving office since January 2011. Former lawmakers may take positions with either lobbying firms or trade associations. Former U.S. House members are barred from lobbying their former colleagues for one year, and former U.S. Senate members are barred for two years. There are no restrictions, however, on providing advice to those who seek to shape federal legislation. Former legislators can also immediately lobby the executive branch and officials in state and local governments.[51]

Presidential preference

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Kyl endorsed Marco Rubio for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[52]

See also: Endorsements for Marco Rubio

Elections

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Arizona, 2012

Kyl did not run for re-election in 2012.[53] Jeff Flake (R) defeated Richard Carmona (D), Marc Victor (L), and Ian Gilyeat (I) in the general election.

2006

On November 7, 2006, Kyl won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Jim Pederson and Richard Mack in the general election.[54]

U.S. Senate, Arizona General Election, 2006
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJon Kyl Incumbent 53.3% 814,398
     Democratic Jim Pederson 43.5% 664,141
     Libertarian Richard Mack 3.2% 48,231
Total Votes 1,526,770

Campaign finance summary

Ballotpedia currently provides campaign finance data for all federal- and state-level candidates from 2020 and later. We are continuously working to expand our data to include prior elections. That information will be published here as we acquire it. If you would like to help us provide this data, please consider donating to Ballotpedia.

Analysis

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Jon Kyl paid his congressional staff a total of $2,863,770 in 2011. He ranked 4th on the list of the highest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 83rd overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Arizona ranked 31st in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[55]

Net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Kyl's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $645,238 and $708,235. That averages to $676,736, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2010 of $7,054,258.[56]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

2012

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Kyl ranked 15th in the conservative rankings among U.S. senators in 2012.[57]

2011

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Kyl ranked 19th in the conservative rankings among U.S. senators.[58]

Political positions

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus. According to the website, Kyl voted with the Republican Party 95.2% of the time. This ranked 7th among the 47 Senate Republicans in 2011.[59]

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Jon + Kyl + Arizona + Senate


Jon Kyl News Feed

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Kyl and his wife, Caryll, have two children.

External links


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Arizona Central, "Former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl will be John McCain's successor in the U.S. Senate," September 4, 2018
  2. ↑ The Hill, "Senate swears in McCain successor Jon Kyl," September 5, 2018
  3. ↑ GovTrack, "John Kyl," accessed March 3, 2012
  4. ↑ Politico, "Sen. Jon Kyl announces his retirement from Senate," accessed February 18, 2012
  5. ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Jon Llewellyn Kyl," accessed October 20, 2011
  6. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment with an Amendment)," December 18, 2018
  7. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 2)," December 11, 2018
  8. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 6, 2018
  9. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture Re: Brett M. Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," October 5, 2018
  10. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2, As Amended)," June 28, 2018
  11. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1959)," February 15, 2018
  12. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1958 As Modified)," February 15, 2018
  13. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1948)," February 15, 2018
  14. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on Amdt. No. 1955)," February 15, 2018
  15. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to the Consideration of S. 2311)," January 29, 2018
  16. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (McConnell Amdt. No. 667)," July 28, 2017
  17. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Amendment (Paul Amdt. No. 271 )," July 26, 2017
  18. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Amdt. No. 270)," July 25, 2017
  19. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Proceed (Motion to Proceed to H.R. 1628)," July 25, 2017
  20. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 7, 2017
  21. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Upon Reconsideration, Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
  22. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Decision of the Chair (Shall the Decision of the Chair Stand as the Judgment of the Senate?)," April 6, 2017
  23. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States)," April 6, 2017
  24. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 6157)," September 18, 2018
  25. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Conference Report (Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 5895)," September 12, 2018
  26. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H. R. 6157 As Amended)," August 23, 2018
  27. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 5895 As Amended)," June 25, 2018
  28. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1625)," March 23, 2018
  29. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1892 with an Amendment (SA 1930))," February 9, 2018
  30. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 695)," February 8, 2018
  31. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment with Further Amendment)," January 22, 2018
  32. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 22, 2018
  33. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 195)," January 19, 2018
  34. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1370)," December 21, 2017
  35. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion to Recede from the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1 and Concur with Further Amendment ," December 20, 2017
  36. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (H.J. Res. 123)," December 7, 2017
  37. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 1 As Amended )," December 2, 2017
  38. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Concurrent Resolution (H. Con. Res. 71 As Amended)," October 19, 2017
  39. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amdt. to the Senate Amdt. with an Amdt. No. 808 to H.R. 601)," September 7, 2017
  40. ↑ U.S. Senate, "On the Motion (Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 244)," May 4, 2017
  41. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Joint Resolution (S.J. Res. 54, As Amended), December 13, 2018
  42. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 2810 As Amended)," September 18, 2017
  43. ↑ The Hill, "Senate sends $692B defense policy bill to Trump's desk," November 15, 2017
  44. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 3364)," July 27, 2017
  45. ↑ Senate.gov, "On Passage of the Bill (S. 722 As Amended)," June 15, 2017
  46. ↑ U.S. Senate, "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff," accessed January 4, 2013
  47. ↑ "Senate Judiciary" List of previous members
  48. ↑ "Senate Judiciary Committee" List of Subcommittees
  49. ↑ Washington Post, "Kyl at Sotomayor Confirmation Hearing"
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 "New York Times" Day 2 Senate Judiciary Committee Sotomayor Transcript, July 14, 2009
  51. ↑ USA Today, "Ex-lawmakers go to lobbying-related jobs," March 26, 2013
  52. ↑ The Arizona Republic, Former Sen. Jon Kyl endorses Marco Rubio for president," January 26, 2015
  53. ↑ Huffington Post, "Jon Kyl Retiring in 2012: Report," February 10, 2011
  54. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
  55. ↑ LegiStorm, "Jon Kyl"
  56. ↑ OpenSecrets, "Kyl, (R-AZ), 2010"
  57. ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
  58. ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: Senate," accessed February 23, 2012
  59. ↑ OpenCongress, "Voting With Party," archived November 29, 2011

Political offices
Preceded by
John McCain (R) 		U.S. Senate Arizona
2018-2018		 Succeeded by
Martha McSally (R)
Preceded by
- 		U.S. Senate Arizona
1995-2013		 Succeeded by
Jeff Flake (R)
Preceded by
- 		U.S. House Arizona District 4
1987-1995		 Succeeded by
-


Arizona's current delegation to the United States Congress
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Mark Kelly (D)
Kyrsten Sinema (I)
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Eli Crane (R)
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